The departure of the majority of a team's passing yards and rushing yards normally sets the stage for a mediocre year. QB Daniel Bryant and HB Mike Davis were both taken in the draft, but there are players chomping at the bit to finally get their playing time. Blair Robinson has won the nod over David Golden for the starting QB spot. Coach Chance sited the deep ball and said that it was really close between them.

"It's really a blessing to have two quarterbacks that can lead your team to victory at any time. I don't expect any controversy, but we may have to ride the hot hand if someone cools off."

Taking over for Mike Davis is a tandem backfield. The third down and receiving back will be sophomore Luke Anderson, while senior J.J. Watkins will be both a FB and short yardage back. The receiving corps is deep with talent and some experience. Look out for the two freshmen Joe Robinson and Cody Brittain; both are 6'5", 200+lbs, and know how to make the most of their playing time. The offensive line will be anchored by 4 seniors who will look to make lanes and keep blitzers occupied.

What to look out for on defense:

It seems like every year the defense is the weak point in Columbia. This year, the defense may be the star again for the first time in a long while. Last year's newcomers, Brad Henry and Bryan Butler, played beyond their years, but will still be the weak spot in the defense. LB Kevin Daugherty, DE Mike Smith, SS Michael Utley, FS Jason Greer, and CB Greg Parker will be the stars of the show.

Best NFL prospect:

South Carolina will be well-represented in the next NFL combine, but one prospect stands out above the rest. SS Michael Utley has made a name for himself with his backbreaking hits and his defensive touchdowns. He may be a little slow for a safety having to cover NFL-caliber receivers, though. I suspect he'll be developed as an OLB in a 4-3 system, but if he can develop technique in the trenches and gain more weight he could end up as an Urlacher-type.

Newcomer of the year:

Many would site the Megatron look-alike that is Joe Robinson, but more likely it will be MLB Jonathan Riley. His ability to lay lumber on opposing backfields will earn him a start in certain sets this year.

The season will be a success if...:

We execute our offensive playbook well and keep the other teams out of their comfort zone.

Schedule outlook:

After an opening bye week, week 2 features an interconference game against the Texas Longhorns. After another bye week and conference games against Ole Miss and Auburn, the Gamecocks travel to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines. After some pedestrian match ups in the middle of the schedule, it ends on a high note with games @ #16 Auburn, @ #20 Florida, and vs. #8 Clemson.

Losing Heisman Trophy winner Corey Garcia and senior quarterback Chad Kelly, the offense will need to senior quarterback Matt McConnell and T.J. Anderson have big shoes to fill this upcoming season. Coach Webbs looks to use the same offensive scheme as last season. The offensive line is prepared to be the strong spot of the offense. Wide outs look to be the true weakness with a true freshman as one of the starters. Coach Webbs wants to put up numbers and score fast this season.​

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What to look out for on defense:​

Defense will have a question mark around most players. Not alot of players have a ton of experience on the team. Defensive tackle Eric Lumpkin is the only All-American player on the team. Mario Roberts and Omar Turner are the only experienced players in the back field. Brad Newsome and Micah Wiggens will be the young linebackers with senior Craig Barr teaching them the ropes. Coach Webbs hopes the defense learns fast and is able to stop the tough offenses.​

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Best NFL prospect:​

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Punter Andy Davis. Davis is the highest rated senior player on the roster. T.J. Anderson could leave early if he has a good season.​

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Newcomer of the year:​

Wide out Terrell Burton. This freshman will be the starter. Also gonna name kicker Junior Ward also in this area.​

Running Game, Defense looks to lead Michigan to a National Championship​

Last season continued the progress Coach White has wanted to see in Ann Arbor, leading the Michigan Wolverines to their first B1G Title in 12 years and first Rose Bowl win since the magical 1997 season after a two game stretch where the Wolverines defeated Wisconsin and Washington by a combined score of 101-15. This has lead to an off-season of much hype from the fan base and media, leading to lofty preseason rankings and even national championship talk, but this team is not the same as the one that took the field in Pasadena in January and if they want to get to the top of the mountain, certain things have to go right.

The team is led by Heisman hopeful and preseason B1G POY RS senior RB Justin Peters. The Dover, OH native rushed for 1531 yards a year ago on 6.2 YPC and 19 TDs. Peters was the glue that held this team together, as when he had it going, it usually led to those big Michigan wins. What is also astonishing is his ability to continue on after contact, rushing for 374 yards after the first hit last season. Coach White has stated that a lot of the workload would be put on Peter's shoulders, but he has done nothing but shown leadership since the team started workouts. He won't be alone though as senior Anthony Taylor return as well, giving the Wolverines one of the best 1-2 punches in the nation.

When Nick Silva took over for Charles Pierce late in the Purdue game, no one knew what to expect. After leading Michigan back to win that game and the resulting impact it had on the rest of the season, it was a move that Coach White said he regretted not making earlier. Silva, the RS junior from Lincolnia, VA, threw for 2395 yards and 21 TDs in 8 games.

"The offense really took off once Nick got his chance to lead this team," Coach White said. "He displayed such confidence that it wore off on the rest of the team and led to the run we had."

Silva even showed late in the year some mobility that no one though he had (it was the one thing that kept him from starting all year), and that gave the Michigan offense an extra dynamic towards the end of the season. Silva does need to cut down on the interceptions this season (16 in 2016), but all accounts from spring and fall practice is that Silva has been making better decisions.

Andrew Evans might be off to the NFL, but this Michigan team still has weapons in the receiving game. Senior Adam Newton broke out next season as the 2nd option for Silva, and finished with 659 yards and 6 TDs. This year he becomes the top guy, and the pressure is only aided by the fact that Coach White gave him the famed #1 jersey the night before the Spring Game. While Newton gets the attention around the nation, everyone in Ann Arbor is excited to see what RS junior Sam Carter does. The 6'7", 231 lbs Jacinto City, TX native has been making noise during practice for his leaping ability and breakaway speed. Along with senior TE Mark Kearney, those three make up the core of a receiving core that could keep defenses honest and not load the box.

The weak point of the offense could be the offensive line, where only one starter (RS senior T Dan Fisher) return. Aided by some JUCO transfers, it could take some time for them to gel, but they have the ability to not cause a trainwreck of a season.

The #4 defense in the nation returns 7 starters from a season ago, and are looking to be a force once again this year as they make the full time switch to a 3-4 scheme. They are led by Preseason All-American MLB Pat Johnston. The RS senior from Bellwood, IL had 85 tackles last year, including 30 TFL, to go along with 7.5 sacks. His constant presence in the backfield made it hard for teams to even try running on the Wolverines. He is joined once again by seniors MLB Ryan Jackson and LOLB Drew Brown. Those three will be joined by junior Rush LB Evan Gray, who is assigned with the task of replacing James Ross, who was the leader of this unit a year ago.

With Tom Strobel, Chris Wormley, and Ondre Pipkins graduating, the defensive line has taken a "next man up" approach. Jarrett Bowman lead a group who patiently waited their turn and now get it. He is joined on either side by Kyle Thomas and Bobby Warren with Jermey Schroeder, Reggie Bell and freshman Freddie Barber also expect to contribute.

If the d-line can't get any pressure, the back 4 is more than capable of not letting receivers get open often. Seniors John Price and Chris Grant lead a unit that is known for their aggressive play, none more evident than the B1G Championship Game where the defense had 8 takeaways. Both Price and Grant had 6 interceptions each a season ago and hope to build on that number. RS Junior Anthony Hemphill moves over to free safety to replace Jarrod Wilson, while Justin Rowe steps in at Strong Safety. Senior Tom Newby reprises his role as the nickle back.

Carlos Byrd returns for his senior year after hitting 10/12 FGs a season ago while Marcus Bates is back for punting and kickoff duties. Chase Griffith earned the job as the return man this season and looks to fill the 7 TDs Newton and Evans combined for last season.

The test of how good Michigan is comes early as they go down to Tallahassee to face Florida State in a rematch of last year's heartbreaker in Ann Arbor, followed by Notre Dame under the lights at the Big House. If the Wolverines can navigate through that stretch, then a stretch of South Carolina, Wisconsin, @ Illinois, @ Michigan State, Nebraska and @ Minnesota will really test them before heading to Columbus to face Ohio State. If Michigan does in fact make it to the National Championship game, they will no doubt have earned it.

Since Coach Broth's first season in Starkville he has been promising a National Title, and it is yet to happen. The Bulldogs did get close in 2014 when they won the SEC, but still fell short that season. This year is definitely the most talented and experienced team that has existed since Coach Broth arrived on campus. The Bulldogs return 9 starters on offense including QB Daniel Bowen, WR Eric Jenkins and RB Randy Gooden. The Bulldog defense on the other hand returns 9 starters as well.​

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Offensive Approach:​

This is something that has changed during Coach Broth's tenure with the Bulldogs as he has rotated from a pass heavy attack to a more run oriented team. The zone read has remained a consistent part of the offense and dont expect any changes there. Daniel Bowen and Randy Gooden have good chemistry and expect this potent rushing attack to make damage behind an offensive line that returns all 5 starters, along with returning FB Shaun Britt and TE Randy Wynn. ​

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Defensive Approach:​

The Bulldogs have run a 3-4 since Coach Broth arrived and with the personel they have expect it to remain the same. Despite losing 1st round pick Aaron George, this is still an experienced secondary that can play physical bump and run coverage and can go 1 on 1 the whole game allowing the defense to bring pressure. Redshirt senior DT John Henry standing at 6'3" 346lb's is an imposing figure and will look to clog up the middle of the field for the Bulldog defense. ​

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Outlook:​

Again the Bulldogs season will likely come down to their matchup against the Louisiana State Tigers for the SEC West title. That said there are plenty of non conference games to look forward to namely Clemson, UNC and Oklahoma State. We will find out early how good this Bulldog team is. If they can make it through their non conference schedule unscathed, watch out. The sky is the limit, and I see this Bulldog team finishing the season 12-0. Yea I went there.​

The Sooners will be led by true sophomore QB Clayton Hill. The young QB took over the starting reigns at the midpoint last season and never looked back. He boasts one of the strongest arms in all of college football, which is also why his fastball has been clocked at 97 MPH from the pitcher's mound. He will be supported by a solid group of receivers including last year's freshman All-American Danny Rowe. ​

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What to look out for on defense:​

The defensive front-seven will be nasty. All-American Will Gardner will lead a group that was the nation's #1 rush defense last season--a trend that should continue this year. With questions in the secondary, it might be a tough year for OU as they look at rebuild the recruiting mess that Bob Stoops left in Norman.​

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Best NFL Prospect: ​

Two names come to mind: Punter Jeff Whitaker and OG Travis McDonald. The former was projected to be a 3-4 round pick but chose to come back and dedicate himself to field goal kicking to improve his draft stock. McDonald is a powerhouse at guard and will almost surely be a 1st round pick next April. ​

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Newcomer of the year: ​

By default, the newcomer of the year will likely be freshman RB Theo Moore. The 4-star, Florida prospect will likely get the bulk of the carries as the season progresses. RS freshman tight end Shelton Rhodes will probably contend for this title as well. The 6'3" Dallas Clark-type player will play a pivotal role in this offense. ​

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Prediction: ​

With a tough out of conference schedule and some good Big XII teams to contend with, the Sooners should contend for 10 wins and a shot at the conference title. Anything more than 10 wins will be icing on the proverbial cake. ​

The Tigers finished last season with a 13-1 record, are only loss coming into the BCS National Championship were we suffered a 3 pt defeat. This was the 2nd time in 5 years LSU would lose in the National Title game, with pretty much the whole offense returning this year we are hoping to get the monkey off are back. The Offense is led by Star QB Corey Arnold and Heisman hopeful Brett Anderson will carry the bulk of the load on the ground. Arnold has some serious weapons on the outside to throw to as The Tigers 3 wide receiver package is probably the best in the country, we also have a big nasty O-line with 4 starters returning which should pave the way for a great rushing attack. Defensively we will be switching back to the 4-3 this year which we hope will stabilize the defense, the defense will be led by are defensive backs as we have two top notch corners in Brent Jackson and Keith Andrews while are Safeties are also some of the best in the country FS Eric Silva and SS Casey Harrell. This team is laced with NFL talent with anywhere from 10-15 guys going in the top 2 rounds in next years draft, so needless to say this is a big year for Us as we need to finish what we start and win The National Championship, anything less would be a disappointment.​

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WR Andrew Stephens​

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Of Course things arent going to be easy, LSU probably plays one of the toughest schedules in College Football this year with Games against​

With a season under his belt, quarterback Desmond Johnson will be the starting quarterback. Running back converted to quarterback Justin Gutierrez is the back up. True Freshman running back Mike Jones won the starting job in the off season. He will be backed up by the trio of Vernon White, Joey Miles, and Eric Davis. Nick Love and true freshman Jarod Martin will be the starting wide outs. The tight end position is very thin this season, so Albert Keys is heavily rely on to stay healthy and productive. He'll be backed up by freshman wide receiver/tight end Rick Townsend. After losing three starters last season, the offensive line will have a difficult task to perform this season, but with the right play calling they might just do fine. Coach Lee has said that he wants to throw the ball more this season. We'll see if that's true or not.​

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What to look out for on defense:​

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The Cowboys are hoping their defense can turn around this season. Last season they were one of the poorest defense in the nation. Senior Josh Baker, John Jones and Jake Prater are told to take the leadership role and to set examples to the rest of their teammates. The linebacker group appears to be the weak spot on the defensive side. After being ranked almost dead last in yardage allowed Coach Lee has challenge his defense to be in the top 25 in yardage allowed this season. We'll find out after the season is over if this defense is for real or not.​

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Best NFL prospect:​

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Punter Gerald Concepcion is the highest rated player on the team and handles all kicking on special teams. He is projected to get drafted in the 4th round in next year's draft. After projecting to be drafted in the 5th round cornerback John Jones decided he could used another year to get ready for the pros. He's projected to go in the 3rd-4th round and even in the 2nd round if he performs well this year.​

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Newcomer of the year:​

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Running back Mike Jones and wide receiver Jarod Martin are the newcomer of the year. Both players won the starting jobs during the off-season and should make an immediate impact on offense.​

The Offense will be a mix between the old and the new for the Irish. The will feature a dual qb and hb system that should make opposing defenses scratch their heads at time. The best way to describe it is a mix between the Oregon Ducks PB and the Clemson Tigers, both known for putting major points on the score board. With the return of the the best deep armed qb to ever grace a ND jersey, Wiggins will likely see part time duties but will be expected to know the entire playbook. The running game will feature redshirt Junior Matt Williams, who will also split time with redshirt freshman phenom Michael Thornton. This has been a trend with the Irish's backfield as they have been able to utilize up and coming talent, with experienced starters. It will be an interesting year for the Irish.

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Keys to Defense:​

The Defense will see the return of last years captain, senior Drew Givens. Givens grades out to be if not the best, one of the best middle linebackers in college football and is looking to prove that this season. With the Irish switching to more of a hybrid defense based off of the Baltimore Ravens style of play, the Givens should be able to make his presence known on just about every down. DE Kennard Johnson will anchor down the strong side of the defensive line and will likely take continuous double teams allowing last years sack leader, OLB Chad Brown, continue to drop the hammer on opposing quarter backs as he sets his sights on the NCAA career record for sacks. The strength of this defense will be it's secondary, led by 2 of the most dominant cover corners in Bobby Dickinson and Johnathan Griffin.

The departure of Jameis Winston being one of the most successful quarterbacks in NCAA history leaves a major void as it would seem. In steps DJ Gilmore, someone who stepped right in at the Big House against Michigan and led Florida State to a comeback victory. He now takes over the Noles as a RS Sophomore after putting up 1,189 yards with 14 TDs and only one interception in his limited action last year filling in for the injured Winston. Some Nole fans believe the team may even be better with him at quarterback and starting his era.​

The oft injured Mario Pender has now graduated and Matt Palmer will enter the year as the #1 tailback. Steve Gardner looks like he will be passed up this year by ultra-talented junior and speedster Colin Stratton who will double as a kick/punt return man.​

The WR group returns Randy Holmes, Eddie Johnson, Rob Poe and Billy Durbin as they all have a first step and will go get the ball. RS Sophomore Eric McBride will be the #1 TE with Eddie Harris and John Lester being #2 and 3. ​

The offensive line might be one of the best run blocking lines in the nation and will only have to give Gilmore a little bit of time since he has legs that can get him out of the pocket. Jr, RS Jr, RS Sr, So, RS Jr and grade out as: 87, 89, 94, 85, 95.​

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Defense​

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Jayson Leierer and Chris Payne will take charge as the defensive ends for this years team, Cole West will now backup Payne. Neal Harris has graduated and Carl Walker and Anthony Taylor will take over the middle trenches with TY Brown and Mike Townes backing them up.​

Antone Phillips coming off a good freshman year will get the nod again at MLB and will go with Garrett McNeal in 2 MLB sets. LOLB will be manned by RS So Dominic Landry and ROLB will be played by Senior All-American Chris Rodriguez. ​

Senior Ryan Scott returned for his last year after testing the NFL waters and will start alongside RS Jr Antoine Young. Nickle Adam Pierre and Steve Cook will hold down the Dime with Mark McQueen and Mike Jenkins ready to step in. Senior Kelvin Hicks returns to continue his legacy as another great FSU safety. SS will be RS Sr CJ Miller while Nick Morris and Kevin Roberson will play in certain situations and get a lot of time.​

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Newcomer of the Year​

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Highly doubtful that these two players get any kind of PT this year besides the minutes of garbage time. Mike Jenkins could get a look against the ones in any kind of game but that will depend on health and statuses of other players.​

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Recruiting Class Update​

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Outlook​

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Florida State once again claimed their stake in holding up the crystal ball for the 2nd time in five years. What is scary is that this team could be more dangerous then the ones that came before them. The target on the back just got a little bit bigger with everyone gunning for them and Notre Dame. Coach Knight will have to have this team ready to compete from the first whistle to the last week in and week out. Another birth in the ACC Championship is always the first goal, after that wherever the pieces fall might they land.​